Chapter 5 - Deacon - Back at the Crossroads

 

Chapter 5 - Deacon - Back at the Crossroads

Present Day

It took me a moment to realize everything was back to normal and Faith was gone. I was lying on the floor in the pastor's office with the biggest back and neck ache I'd ever had. It's no wonder they invented mattresses. My head was still a bit fuzzy but the events from yesterday were firmly in my mind.

A castle had appeared over the church and a man who looked exactly like James laid on the sanctuary stage, or at least, where it had been. And before either of us could blink a white light enveloped them both leaving only one.

I still don't understand what happened and I wanted to speak with James about it. I think we left him in one of the old Sunday School classes, but I wasn't sure. We had been navigating in the dark, but it had all been castle decorated at the time.

When I checked the room where I thought we'd left him, he wasn't there.  That concerned me. Had he regained consciousness and wandered off? The man probably needed to be checked out by a doctor.

When I made my way back to the sanctuary, I found something I wasn't expecting. Lying at the far end of the stage by the baptismal was Faith crumpled on the floor. I ran over to her and checked her pulse. Thready but there. I breathed a little easier and tried to shake her awake.

Her eyes fluttered open then widened. “It wasn’t a dream.”

“What wasn’t?” Deacon asked. Faith’s voice sounded different, almost British.

“You aren’t Arthur.”

I smiled. “Nope. Still Noah Stone just like always.”

“My wish must have worked then,” she said.

“Your wish?”

“For Arthur to finally meet his Faith.”

I had no idea where she was going with this so I waited. “I hate to break the spell of the castle from yesterday but you already are Faith. Who’s Arthur?”

She sat up straighter and I helped her stand. 

“I am not Faith. I am Maiden Marian from Nottingham. And your Faith is now with Arthur, King of Camelot.”

I am pretty sure my mouth just dropped to the floor at that statement. And before I could wrap my mind around the ramifications of what she had just proclaimed, someone in the church screamed.

The two of us ran toward the sound and found Hailey, James’ wife lying by his side weeping and moaning. “I think hes dead. I think James is dead!”